New-look Devils have DeBoer excited

With a long, eventful summer nearly over, you could hear the excitement in Devils coach Pete DeBoer’s voice as he talked Tuesday about the approach of training camp.

The Devils’ rookies report for their physicals Monday and the veterans report a week from today. DeBoer estimated that 15 to 20 players were at Prudential Center on Tuesday morning for an informal skate.

"When you have a year like you did last year, it never leaves you and you’re champing at the bit to get back," said DeBoer, referring to the Devils missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

"The guys are rolling back into town, they’re in great shape and we’ve got something to prove, obviously."

What do they have to prove?

"We have to prove that we’re the team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals less than two years ago and not the team that didn’t make the playoffs last year," DeBoer said.

DeBoer will have a lot to figure out in training camp after an off-season that included his best forward, Ilya Kovalchuk, leaving the team to return to Russia, the departure of David Clarkson (team-leading 15 goals in 2012-13) via free agency, the draft day trade for Cory Schneider to be Martin Brodeur’s heir apparent in net and the free agent additions of Jaromir Jagr, Ryane Clowe, Michael Ryder and Rostislav Olesz.

Although Schneider, 27, was brought in to eventually succeed Brodeur, 41, DeBoer echoed GM Lou Lamoriello in saying Brodeur is still the team’s No. 1 goalie. How Brodeur and Schneider will split the workload this season remains to be seen.

DeBoer is excited to have the chance to work with the 41-year-old Jagr, a future Hall of Famer who leads all active players with 681 goals.

"This is a guy who really has changed himself as he’s gotten older, his habits, the way he looks at the game and that’s not easy to do when you’re a great player like that," DeBoer said. "I think what he’s done in order to prolong his career has been impressive."